Chapter 92: Chapter 92

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 92: Iro (2)

"It's tougher inside. Come here!"

With her forehead furrowed, Yeon Bora shouted, seemingly straining herself.

Beads of sweat were already forming on her forehead.

Thud! Boom! Ka-bang!

It must’ve been due to the relentless attacks from the chimera pounding against the mud wall.

"Are you okay? You look like you’re struggling."

"I feel uneasy because I can’t compress it properly... but I’ll try to hold on as much as I can!"

She seemed overwhelmed, so I asked, but her answer was far from what I expected.

"You’ve really grown, Yeon Bora."

"Ha! Are you treating me like a child right now?"

Her effort felt both admirable and endearing.

"Here, take this."

I handed her a plastic bottle I had summoned.

It was filled with crystal-clear water with a faint brownish tint.

"What’s this?"

"It’s a tonic. It’ll boost your stamina."

▣ Root of the Master Ginseng

-The root of a young ginseng grown under a high-concentration energy barrier.

Consuming it permanently increases the subject’s stamina.

However, due to brief exposure to the barrier, its effect is minimal.

To be precise, the effect was so faint it no longer worked for me.

But for someone like Yeon Bora, whose stamina was completely drained, it would be a precious health tonic.

"If you’re going to help anyway... take this and hold on a bit longer."

"!!"

Yeon Bora froze.

She held the plastic bottle in one hand and stared at me intently—not at the bottle, but at my face.

"Are you going to drink it or not?"

At my question, she simply blinked.

"I didn’t give it to you for an offering ceremony, you know."

When I urged her, she finally let out a shy smile and began fiddling with the ends of her hair.

"Hurry up and drink it. We don’t have time."

"Okay!"

Yeon Bora drank the bottle’s contents with a face that was both joyful and sorrowful, an expression hard to read.

"Gulp... Thank..."

And at that very moment—

Bang!

The edge of the mud wall Yeon Bora had barely been holding up collapsed.

Crash! Crackle!

Through the gap, a monstrous arm forced its way in.

Suddenly, arms filled with tools—hammers, drills, and more—came surging in like a whirlwind.

"Sword..."

"Barrier..."

Just as I was about to unleash a sword strike and Bora was about to summon her barrier—

Whizz!

A familiar gunshot tore through the air.

"!!"

Bang!

One arm was blown off with a single shot.

Bang! Bang!

With two more shots, two more arms exploded.

Golden streaks of light shredded through the grotesque limbs, slicing through flesh adorned with blades, staffs, and axes.

"Jieun!"

"Sorry I’m late! I’ll handle this side!"

Bang!

Jieun shouted confidently, one eye closed, as she extended her arm and fired a bullet with precision.

"I’ll rebuild it! Hold on for a moment!"

In the meantime, Yeon Bora, with all her focus concentrated on her palms, shouted as she raised another wall.

The mud wall rose instantly, blocking the attack once again.

With Jieun attacking on the right and Bora defending on the left...

'These two...'

I couldn’t feel more reassured.

"Are you okay? I shouldn’t have left you alone..."

Bang!

Jieun shot a golden bullet at the chimera’s leg and asked urgently.

"I’m fine! What about Yura?"

"Hanul is taking care of him!"

Yura, whom I had entrusted to Hanul to use her "Hide-and-Seek" ability and infiltrate the spire, seemed to have safely returned to her father’s arms as I had requested.

Thank goodness.

I was relieved not only that the precious child was safe but also that she didn’t have to witness this scene.

If a child had seen the massive, grotesque chimera with countless arms exploding like fungi growing on a decaying body, they would’ve been terrified to tears.

Splat!

Soft chunks of flesh fell to the rough dirt floor, mixing together.

Bright red blood pooled into puddles on dazzling white marble.

And in the midst of it all, the chimera roared.

[Wipe out all these useless things... quickly!]

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

The chimera charged forward.

Abandoning its exploding arms without a second thought.

Boom!

The monstrous beast rammed itself into the mud wall.

A self-destructive action no intelligent being would ever commit.

Crash!

The mud wall crumbled.

Starting from the sections furthest from Bora, piece by piece.

But—

「85.3%」

「82.0%」

「79.5%」

As the wall collapsed, so did the chimera’s stamina.

'What a fool.'

Rebuilding the wall was a simple matter.

If it were me, I’d never exchange stamina for this.

This showed how the chimera, consumed by rage, had lost its reason.

[Do you think shooting will work? Give up and come out, Lee Eunho!]

Through the crumbling wall, I could see the chimera’s body covered in patchy armor.

Somewhere within, a researcher screamed at me, but I ignored him and shouted to Jieun.

"The one in the white coat is our primary target! The chimera comes second!"

"Got it!"

Bang!

The enraged beast unfurled its arms to their fullest.

Whoosh!

The webbing between its arms flapped violently, stirring up a gale.

A yellow storm raged like springtime yellow dust.

[‘Synthetic Toxic Gas’ absorbed!]

On top of that—

Tzzzzzzzzzt!

The long, twisting hoses shot out, spewing pitch-black poison.

[You’ve been exposed to a strong toxin!]

[Status abnormality: Poisoned!]

「85.7%」

Health was dropping.

「85.1%」

No, it was dropping.

Due to the injuries sustained atop the spire and the toxins inhaled through water and air.

But then—

Ding-!

A cheerful alert, accompanied by a system message, brought reassurance.

[Under the influence of the Awakening Agent, immunity to infectious diseases caused by the ‘Master Ginseng Root’ is amplified tenfold!]

[Defending against foreign substances from ‘Synthetic Toxic Gas’!]

[Under the influence of the Awakening Agent, the adaptability absorbed from the cockroach is amplified tenfold!]

[All status abnormalities have been removed!]

Good.

As long as my health didn’t drop any further, it wouldn’t be dangerous.

But the problem was with the others.

“I... I can’t breathe…!”

“Jieun!!”

Thud!

Jieun, pale as a ghost, as if her neck were being choked, dropped the gun trembling in her hand.

At that moment—

Flash-!

A refreshing sensation washed over me, accompanied by a message.

[Due to the Healer ‘Yoon Sola,’ health is partially restored.]

[85.1% → 88.1%]

“I’ll support from the rear!”

“I’m here too, hyung!”

“Shit, are you both okay?!”

They could’ve stayed hidden somewhere in the ruins.

Yet, they’d dodged the monster’s gaze and run all the way here.

Sweat-drenched and gasping for breath.

“Sorry for being late! This idiot insisted that if it was Lee Eunho, he’d be hiding here...”

“Shut up, you fool!”

Who knew I’d feel so glad about all this racket.

Their choice to come here warmed my heart so much I almost laughed.

“Is that the bastard? Should we hit it?!”

“Hey, what should we take out first? Just say the word!”

But gratitude could wait.

I could express it after we’d dealt with that thing.

So, I steadied myself and shouted to the janitor lady,

“The poison! Aim for the hose openings!”

“Leave it to me! I’ll clean it all up without leaving a trace!”

Snap!

Like a general answering a call, the janitor raised her spear.

With a sharp motion, the pitch-black poison was instantly drawn into the spear’s pointed tip.

Vrrrrrrrr-!

[You… useless trash not even fit for experiments dares to…!]

Enraged, the enemy bellowed with a trembling voice.

Boom! CRASH-!

[Trash, I’ll deal with you first! I’ll kill everyone on this island!]

With eyes bloodshot, it roared, thrashing around and indiscriminately demolishing the floating island.

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

“Save me!”

People fled, collapsed, or were trampled to death.

And then—

Bang-!

“It’s coming this way!!”

Feeling the vibrations of its charge as it seemed intent on smashing through the earthen wall, I spoke.

“If you’re going to run, now’s your chance.”

Boom-!

The tremors reverberated through the wall.

Looking at the people who’d gathered despite having no reason to, I took in their faces.

“I’ll fight, hyung!”

“Me too. Someone might get hurt…”

Resolute faces, as if courage was a given.

“If we run now, what? Heaven’s waiting for us?”

“Yeah, fuck it! Let’s blow those disgusting limbs to pieces!”

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Determined expressions showing trust and defiance born of camaraderie.

And—

“Let’s go together, Eunho.”

Faces that didn’t need reasons, always looking in the same direction.

—Ding!

A cheerful alert rang in my ears for the first time in a while.

[The survivor group from the ‘Gangbuk’ region begins to follow the target ‘Lee Eunho’!]

[The title ‘Pathfinder’ is activated!]

‘This is…!’

[Followers: 12]

[Movement speed increased by 1.2.]

[Defense increased by 1.2.]

It announced that this time, I was a guide not for skeletons, but for the living.

[Congratulations!]

[The hidden condition of the title ‘Pathfinder,’ reacting to ‘Eradication of Corrupt Leadership, Collapse of Governance, and Rebellion Against Systemic Oppression,’ has been fulfilled!]

‘!!’

[Unlocking the path of the ‘Rebel’!]

A rebel… me?

A rebel.

A traitor.

A betrayer.

I didn’t know why I’d opened such a grandiose path, but for now…

[Followers: 12]

[Twelve who walked the righteous path have been led to the ‘Rebel’s Path.’]

[Resistance stat (+12)!]

‘If it’s being given, I’ll take it.’

Resistance +12.

It wasn’t enough to fully unleash a counterattack skill, but it would become immensely powerful if I kept stacking it.

Like when I pierced the sky before.

I just had to endure.

And slowly build up.

Thinking that, I opened my mouth.

"Ajumma, please neutralize the toxins as much as possible! Jaehyuk, support her!"

"Got it!"@@novelbin@@

"Understood, hyung!"

Seeing the two stepping up so energetically was incredibly reassuring.

"The rest of you, focus on long-range attacks! It's still dangerous to get too close!"

The problem was that the only one capable of long-range attacks was Jieun.

"Jieun! Can you block the area above us?"

"Yes! I think I can float multiple swords!"

I was grateful that Jieun always said she'd try, always willing to give it her best.

But realistically, blocking the entire sky alone was too much to ask.

Swick!

I cut down a flying arm while racking my brain.

Kaaak! Kaaaak!

The sound of crows echoed from somewhere.

‘Huh?’

Stone crows flew in.

In swarms, no less.

Kaaaaaak!

Stone crows?

They seemed familiar somehow…

Suddenly, slap!

A sharp sound hit my back, and two figures came into view.

"Cha Jinsol! Aren’t you done making them yet?!"

"Ugh! I’m drawing as fast as I can!"

‘Those two….’

They were the tattooed ones I met during the personality test.

The blonde guy who almost died running from the white snake.

And the girl who thanked me for saving him by giving me homemade healing ointment.

Back then, she drew something huge with a needle on ice—was it a gorilla or an orangutan?

"Materialization!"

Yeah, just like that.

"As long as we block that thing, right?!"

The blonde guy.

Even then, I thought he had a good friend.

"Thank you for saving me!"

"……."

"Come on, say thank you already!"

"……Thank you."

For them to remember and step up now—it was truly touching.

And not just them.

"We’ll help too."

The couple who had apologized after surviving the nightmare mission came forward as well.

"You’re saying we have to take that thing down to survive, right?"

"Us too! We’re not as strong as Lee Eunho, but we’re better than nothing, aren’t we?!"

Even the chef who gave unlimited refills of pasta and the locals from Yongsan district gathered.

[The few survivors wish to repay the target, 'Lee Eunho'!]

[Followers: 112]

[You’ve led 100 righteous people onto the path of rebellion!]

[Resistance stat (+100)!]

"We’ll help too!"

"Shall we make traps like last time?!"

Even those who survived the hunting mission by earning points through auto-hunting joined in.

[The few survivors have begun following the target, 'Lee Eunho'!]

[Followers: 195]

[You’ve led 83 righteous people onto the path of rebellion!]

[Resistance stat (+83)!]

"All of you…."

Seeing unexpected faces left me speechless.

"I’ll shoot from the back with my bow!"

"I’ve got a throwing skill! Is there anyone who can gather things to throw?"

"Me! I’ll do it!"

Boom!

The dirt wall completely collapsed.

But the countless abilities of countless people cut between the monster and me without hesitation.

Arrows. Rocks. Chunks of asphalt. Daggers. Spears. Bombs...

It was absolute chaos.

Amid the noise and confusion, a strange emotion surged, leaving me bewildered.

[Pour it all out! Crush it! Destroy it! Melt it down!]

With a frenzied cry from the enraged Iro.

[Uwaaaaaaah—!]

A gigantic monster opened its maw as if vomiting its innards.

And from within, poured out grotesque orbs of various colors.

Flames, smoke, stench, and gas spewed forth, painting the sky.

Fwoooooosh—!

A single person.

A concentrated barrage, all aimed at me.

"Summon!"

A situation brought about by sheer luck stacked upon luck.

I had to make the most of it.

So, for now...

‘Block it.’

[Temporary performer 'Lee Eunho' deploys a barrier!]

[Remaining performance count: 1]

‘Make it as crude as possible.’

Tens, hundreds, thousands of fragments rained down on my shoulders.

A deluge of stone debris.

♩─!

[The barrier prevents the approach of entities opposing the performer’s will!]

The string of a lute plucked fiercely amidst the downpour.

Louder.

Louder.

Even louder.

The barrier expanded endlessly.

[A small number of survivors are in awe of subject 'Lee Eunho’s' ability!]

[Followers: 240]

[Led 45 righteous individuals onto the 'path of rebellion'!]

[Resistance stat (+45)!]

Thanks to this, those who were shielded from the monster's vomit followed behind me.

“No, no!!”

Yeon Bora was horrified.

At the ever-growing size of the barrier, which she must have understood better than anyone.

What it meant.

After all, she had seen it used multiple times before.

“Your life force! It’s draining!”

“What, what?!”

“The barrier! The wider you make it, the more your life force drains! And with such a large area, it probably won’t even block the attacks properly…”

Of course, she couldn’t grasp my true intention for doing this.

[A small number of survivors are moved by subject 'Lee Eunho’s' immense sacrifice!]

[Followers: 330]

[Led 90 righteous individuals onto the 'path of rebellion'!]

[Resistance stat (+90)!]

And so, the misunderstandings and resistance stats kept piling up unintentionally.

By the time I realized, while preoccupied with maintaining the barrier, my resistance stat had reached 330.

An overwhelming 330% counterattack capability.

‘Remaining health is…’

「54.5%」

「47.7%」

The chimera was ahead, but only by a slim margin.

My health had increased dramatically thanks to an awakening stimulant, and the chimera was gradually being worn down by the coordinated assault of 330 people.

Crackkkkk!

The barrier, stretched to its limit, became paper-thin.

Orb fragments started breaking through and spilling onto my head.

“!!”

“Isn’t this dangerous?!”

“Oppa! Reduce the range quickly! Please…!”

Logically, I should reduce the range and strengthen the barrier immediately, but…

If I were to expand the barrier’s range even further here…

♩─ ♪♬───!

「32.6%」

‘It’s dropping.’

Slowly, ‘steadily,’ my health was falling.

Adjusting the numbers carefully.

「25.1%」

「20.9%」

「14.2%」

……

When my remaining health reached 10%.

[Followers: 482]

[Led 152 righteous individuals onto the 'path of rebellion'!]

[Resistance stat (+152)!]

At that moment, having claimed almost everyone left on the floating island, all the conditions were met.

‘Now!’

I deactivated the barrier.

Leap—!

I ran forward, recalling the “one-hit kill method” I had discovered—no, created—thanks to the people.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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